Henrietta Potter || Draco Malfoy

31 - Ladies First

So Dumbledore has decided to give me some private lessons. About Voldemort.

I get to look into his past and shit. Which isn't all bad as to be quite honest Tom Riddle was a bit of a spunk in his heyday.

Pity about the murderous tendencies though.

It makes me kind of nervous that Dumbledore suddenly wants to share so much with me. It's like he's dying or something and passing on all his wisdom and knowledge before he goes.

Anyway, not only do I have to deal with that, I've got Quidditch and seeing as I'm the captain (obviously) I have to hold tryouts.

Now, I had a little problem. Both Ron and a seventh year called Cormac McLaggen wanted to try out for Keeper. Cormac was an annoying creep who evidently fancied himself rotten - but he was notoriously good on a broomstick. Ron, who was quite frankly shit at Quidditch, was my best friend and laughed at my jokes. Clearly, he was the better choice.

But I could not choose Ron without looking as though I was playing favourites (which I was.)

Luckily, Hermione helped me out of this little conundrum by Confunding Cormac and making him look crap at try-outs.

So best friend wins the spot. Nepotism at its best.

***

"Aw, bloody hell..."

We had just entered the Three Broomsticks, sheltering from the freezing cold, to find Ginny and Dean sitting together.

"Oh, honestly, Ronald. They're just holding hands..." Hermione tutted.

We watched as Ginny and Dean started sucking on each others faces like a pair of leeches at a half price blood sale.

"Woah," I snickered impressively, "get it, Ginny."

"I'd like to leave." Ron said brusquely, starting to turn around.

"You're not going anywhere, Ron!" I said angrily tugging at his arm. "I'm cold and you offered to buy me a Butterbeer."

"That happens to be my sister!" Ron said, flabbergasted.

"So?" Hermione cried. "What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me? Would you expect her to get up and leave?"

Ron blinked speechlessly.

I rolled my eyes, storming past them to get to the ladies. Those two need to get a bloody room.

As I reached the ladies, I nearly went flying arse over tit when someone flew out of the door and crashed right into me.

"Watch wh-" I started to yell, but stopped in my tracks as I came face to face with Draco Malfoy.

For a shocked second, we just stared at one another. His grey eyes widened, almost fearfully, and by his shaky, uneven breaths, I would have said something had seriously spooked him.

Probably walked in on McGonagall with her knickers round her ankles or something.

"What were you doing in there?" I demanded, jabbing my finger furiously from his chest to the ladies sign.

"I- I..." he stuttered, his eyes darting over my shoulder towards the exit.

Suddenly, without warning, he pushed me aside so forcefully that I lost my balance and nearly toppled over.

"WELL FUCK YOU THEN, MALFOY!" I bellowed to his retreating back before he was swallowed into the crowd.

I mean, what a git.

***

"It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!"

We were walking back to the castle, having given up on Hogsmeade. It was too cold, and I was getting fed up with Ron's continued surliness over the fact that his little sister had beaten him to first base.

Up ahead, Katie Bell and her friend, Leanne seemed to be bickering like a pair of immature toddlers over some package.

And then the freakiest shit happened.

Let's just say that Katie Bell won't be trying on necklaces again anytime soon.

"I'm telling you, it was Malfoy," I said later, when we had discovered the package had been passed onto her during a toilet trip in the Three Broomsticks'.

"Oh, just give it a rest about Malfoy, Etta." Hermione sighed impatiently. "It truly is getting tiring."

"HE CAME OUT OF THE FLIPPING LADIES!"

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, Malfoy maybe a lot of things, but a killer?"

Oh these buffoons. Why do I hang out with them?

Angrily, I stormed up to my dormitory and got out the Marauders Map. I wanted to see what Draco was doing and where he was going.

But he was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't understand it. I spent ages looking over it, trying to find the name I so desperately longed to see.

I was still sprawled over my bed searching the map intently when Hermione came to bed hours later.

"Please don't tell me you're looking for Malfoy?" Hermione sighed, getting into her nightie.

"When it turns out he is a Death Eater and was actually behind the cursed necklace then you'll all be sorry," I said giving her an evil from over the top of the map.

"Oh, suit yourself," Hermione huffed, pulling her maroon drapes closed around her bed.

I sighed, lowering my eyes back down to the map. And that's when I saw it. Draco Malfoy. The little footsteps next to his name were walking along the seventh floor.

What the fuck was he doing wandering around the castle at this time of night? And why couldn't I find him before now?

I allowed my finger to trace his steps as it followed his path back all the way down to the dungeons. I continued to stare at the footsteps long after the they had finally come to a rest in the Slytherin dormitories; my finger gently stroking the ink of his name.

***